


A Stellar Invitation

by ExtraPenguin



Category: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Genre: Astronomy, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 14:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5931403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraPenguin/pseuds/ExtraPenguin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Csethiro gets invited to have tea with Vedero.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Stellar Invitation

**Author's Note:**

> Originally on #thegoblinemperor on SlashNET.  
> http://www.slashnet.org/webclient/thegoblinemperor

The first few weeks after the Imperial Wedding were hectic, but after that initial burst of activity, Csethiro had the opportunity to visit Vedero. They had not known each other as children, but what Csethiro had sawn of the other woman revealed an interesting person whose acquaintance Csethiro would like to cultivate.  
  
When the invitation to a private tea came without any finessing on Csethiro's part, she was happy to accept.  
  
On the evening of the invitation, Csethiro arrived at the door of Vedero's rooms slightly early, never having understood the whole "fashionable lateness", and when invited in, shed her entourage.  
  
They engaged in pleasantries for a while, inquiring about the other's health (with the typical flick of eyes to Csethiro's midriff). When that topic had been exhausted, they were sipping tea of optimal drinking temperature. Talk turned to what they had recently been doing. Csethiro gave a measured account of Imperial women's work, then asked Vedero about her recent discoveries.  
  
"We have discovered that when we channel the light of a star through a prism, the lines in the spectrum are unique for each star", Vedero said. "We've been cataloguing all the spectra of the stars, and hopefully we'll uncover a pattern in them."  
  
"What draws you to such hours of work?" Csethiro asked.  
  
Vedero's ears pricked up and she sat up straighter. There was a gleam in her intent eyes. "The joys of discovery and understanding. The feeling of having uncovered a piece of the Universe's mysteries. The thrill of coming up with an experimental set-up that works. The satisfaction of a job well done on the forefront of discovery." Vedero attempted to suppress the smile that had crept up on her face. "Some of it would be easier with a second set of arms, mind."  
  
Thus did the Empress of the Ethuveraz come to help her sister-in-law in studying the stars on clear nights.


End file.
